Tragedy has struck again as two migrants lost their lives attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat. The boat, which was carrying 60 people, was seen getting into difficulty in French waters shortly after 1pm local time. The two people drowned after the boat capsized just two hours after leaving the French town of Neufchatel-Hardelot. Several of those who were rescued had hypothermia, while 57 people were rescued by boat and taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer and another person was airlifted to safety.
The deaths of these two migrants come almost exactly two years after the UK’s deadliest migrant boat incident, which saw at least 27 people die including a pregnant woman and three children. Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, condemned the latest tragedy as “yet another appalling and preventable tragedy”. Meanwhile, photos have emerged showing groups of people thought to be migrants being brought to shore in Dungeness, Kent, by an RNLI lifeboat.
In response to these latest events, British and French teams have stepped up their efforts to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel. The UK government, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has made “stopping the boats” a key priority for his administration. According to the Home Office, over 27,000 people have been detected crossing the English Channel in 2023, a third fewer than the same date in 2022. However, 2022 saw a record high of 45,755 migrants making the crossing, the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.
An investigation has been launched by prosecutors in France into the circumstances surrounding this latest tragedy. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been working with French authorities and confirmed that “HM Coastguard will continue to work with partners to respond to those in distress around the seas and coastal areas of the UK.” The latest tragedy is a reminder of the dangers that migrants face when making the perilous journey across the English Channel
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